Church of St. Nicholas, Bromham

As a priest is recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) it is most likely that there was a Saxon church here. The Norman church was built in the early 12th century and consisted of a nave and chancel only. Of this part of the west and north walls of the nave remain. The church was rebuilt in the 13th century with a south transept and central tower while in the 14th century an aisle and porch were added on the south side. The octagonal font is of the 15th century. In the late 15th century the Tocotes chapel was built, containing rich furnishings of that century. In 1492 a license for a chantry chapel had been granted to Sir Roger Tocotes and Richard Beauchamp, Lord St. Armand, to be built on the south side of the chancel. The south transept was rebuilt in the same stlye as the chapel, which in the 17th century became the Bayntun Chapel. Also in the late 15th or early 16th century the upper part of the tower was rebuilt. The church suffered considerable damage during the Parliamentary period and extensive repairs were undertaken in 1661.In the 18th century a spectacular entertainment was provided by a steeple flyer who 'flew' down a rope stretched between the church steeple and a tree. Unfortunately the steeple did not stand the stress of the steeple flier and his board and was partially pulled down. It had to be rebuilt.

In the early 19th century the south aisle and porch were partly rebuilt while in 1843 the box pews were removed, a vestry built and a new pulpit and stone reading desk provided. The west window is a memorial to the poet Thomas Moore (died 1852) who lies buried in the churchyard, commemorated by a Celtic cross. In 1865 the chancel was rebuilt as a replica of the earlier one. The six bells were recast in 1875 and the clock installed as part of Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebrations in 1887. Little was done for the first half of the 20th century and in 1957 the first thorough cleaning for 50 years revealed many interesting features. The parish registers from 1566 (christenings) and 1560 (marriages and burials), other than those in current use are held in the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre at Chippenham.